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Too hot at night/AC

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axelnoah
  3/19/2019 07:29 EST

I have I friend who is planning to livepermanently in PH. But he has serious problems sleeping in PH, because of the dry air from AC. He gets the usual problems from the AC like cathing a cold, ect. Does a humidifyer really work? Could he use an AC together with a humidifier? Would be really greatful for your input. Please advice, thanks.

standupguy
  3/19/2019 09:59 EST

axelnoah. You can buy a room deodoriser that uses water and scented drops at any department store. Acts just like a humidifier but much cheaper.

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darkfader24
  3/19/2019 11:31 EST

Here's what I do - and it will help save electricity ($$$). The humidifier is a good idea. The air conditioner, of course, will be pulling what the humidifier does - out of the air - so they are somewhat at cross purposes to each other. So he should probably put the humidifier near him - so that he can get the benefit. Also, if he uses a FAN - the cool air from the fan will make it so that he doesn't have to run the air conditioner (A/C) so hard. He can set the A/C at a higher temperature to where the condenser shuts off every once in awhile - and that will help with the electricity usage AND wear and tear on the A/C unit. Here in the States I use a fan all the time in conjunction with my A/C. It provides constant "White Noise", (kinda like the sound of ocean waves but without the fluctuation) which helps block outside sounds from disturbing my sleep, while simultaneously lowering my electric bill. Win/Win!

axelnoah
  3/19/2019 16:04 EST

Yes, great answer, thanks a lot!

darkfader24
  3/19/2019 17:00 EST

Yes, Sir. I have fans in all of my rooms. When they are on the lowest setting you can still hear your TV and feel the cool breeze - again, being able to keep from running your A/C so hard. Just feeling the constant "breeze" from the fans keeps you cool.

charkee
  3/19/2019 18:34 EST

I don't have an air conditioner. I couldn't afford the high usage bills. I use fans.

Admittedly I wish I could have aircon, especially during the hot dry season. But the fan keeps me from soaking the bed with sweat.

If you get one of those banana bladed fans, they also are good at killing the mosquitos. that pass too close and the circulating air seems to make it more difficult for them to find me. Some mornings there could be 100 dead mosquitos at the base of the fan.

We sleep under mosquito netting of course.

Typically my electric bills this time of year run around 350 php per month. During the hot season, bills run around 800 - 900 php. per month.

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William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.
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darkfader24
  3/19/2019 18:47 EST

HaHaHa - I wish!! My recording studio - the Largest one in Central California - runs around $2,500 a month or approx. 135,000 Pesos!! My only consolation? Zero Mosquitos!!

Where do you live in the RP, Bro?

charkee
  3/19/2019 19:03 EST

I live in Santa Rosa City, near Lago de Bay or the biggest lake in the Philippines.

Where is your recording studio? My brother has a recording studio in Modesto, California. His studio was in San Jose, but he is no longer actively recording.

He's friends with many big name musicians and has worked in Hollywood as a musician. For many years he's been best friends with the late Louie Belsom, Louis Armstrong's drummer.

darkfader24
  3/19/2019 19:11 EST

Very Cool ! I'm on Yelp. A couple of photos there.

It's called "Cobalt Creative Recording Services" in Fresno, CA

charkee
  3/19/2019 19:25 EST

I let my brother know. I used to watch him on TV when I was a kid. He used to do a lot of gigs at the Santa Cruz boardwalk.

If you plan on doing recordings in the Philippines, make sure you can legally do it on your visa. It'd get you deported and you'll lose all your equipment.

darkfader24
  3/19/2019 22:37 EST

No, I'm planning on retiring. I've been recording since I was 10 yrs old and I'm now 65 - 55 years of recording is enough for me. I am a Grammy Nominated Record Producer and Recording Engineer and have worked with a number of Grammy Winners thru the years. But I work in an area without Big Time action. I have chosen not to be in LA. Too crazy for me. My Protege, who I started out when he was 14 now has 10 Grammies, just got one for Beck. And last year got one for the Foo Fighters "Concrete and Gold" album. He gets at least one every year - Radio Head, Paul McCartney, on and on. I do some consultation with him on projects. I'd like to do it a little bit in the RP but it is too expensive bringing in my gear with tariffs or whatever they are - so, sadly, very sadly, I have to give up my incredible collection of Microphones (some are classic going back to the 1930s) and wonderful guitars, etc. I've got a Huge 64 Channel Console and racks and racks of outboard gear, computers, ...... I will have to all but give it away. Sacrifices have to be made. Makes me nervous though, hearing about the "Fragility" of the RP Government. I knew things were 3rd World - but I wasn't expecting to have to run for my life at any moment - with a wife!

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Morgacj2004
  3/20/2019 01:54 EST

Darkfader 24. Dont pay too much attention to some of those on this forum who believe that the Philippines is heading for a revolution/anarchy. This is not Venezuela, Greece or some of the other countries recently in the news. The Philippines is unique in its own way due in part to the millions of OFWs and close ties with other countries. My wife and I recently purchased an ocean front home in Argao for 8 million pesos and will eventually live here full time instead of part time. We certainly wouldn't have done so if we thought this country was unstable.

standupguy
  3/20/2019 02:01 EST

Morgacj2004 Hey! We agree. You are making me envious with your new Waterfront home. Good luck with your relocation.

darkfader24
  3/20/2019 02:08 EST

Thank you. That is comforting. I hadn't gotten the impression up until today that the place was about to implode. I have a few friends over there - and many over here - and I hadn't heard anything negative from any of them.

charkee
  3/20/2019 02:23 EST

Safety issues are being overblown on this forum. I know several long time expats, one's been here 28 years & they have no complaints. I'm here for 6 years and I see the economy picking up like wildfire all around me.

I never saw this kind of economic activity in the US, except for way back in the early 60s.

Yes, there are concerns about corruption, but there is scarcely an institution that doesn't have it in the US or Canada either.

While I lived in Honduras, I lived through 2 coups and multiple huelgas or general strikes. Especially not safe to go on the streets then.

One week nobody had soap, a few weeks later nobody had cooking oil...then no toilet paper..... then no soap again.... but we always had bananas and the best oranges I ever had.

Roads were a mess, the national highway was a moonscape. Bridges routinely washed out. Once while crossing the Chamelecon River, I couldn't figure out why the bus was going so slow, I looked down and the other lane had already fallen into the river. Crossing smaller rivers or large streams was usually over two big logs.

I've heard horror stories about Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa...

The Philippines is a paradise.

darkfader24
  3/20/2019 02:41 EST

Most of Human History has been such - and much worse. People have existed under cruel tyranny for thousands of years. I am a Spoiled American. All I have ever known is Freedom, Sweet Freedom. It's a Great Privilege. I wish the younger people could have their eyes opened to the incredible blessings and opportunities in front of them. Instead of complaining, rioting, burning cars, having "Sit-Ins". They are spoiled brats and will greatly rue the day that they give up their freedoms. It seems to be coming fast. I realize some of the issues of the RP - but I also appreciate their more conservative, family and religious values. Although not perfect, I want to be in an environment more oriented in that direction.

bbazor
  3/20/2019 02:45 EST

Well said.

agypsyquokka
  3/20/2019 03:47 EST

As Standupguy, uses the term "Negative Tribe" - it is an appropriate term. Many of that "tribe" do not live here OR they live in Ivory Towers with little contact with everyday Phil. lifestyles. - yet they are constantly complaining / stating what is wrong with the Philippines. They should just pack up and leave OR not visit if the Philippines are soooo bad. All the crap about China and world influences are just their personal perspectives - NOT REALITY. Same people keep saying - have a bag packed ready to leave - WHY WHY WHY. I have been living here continuously for over 10 years and surrounded mostly by gentle, friendly natured Filipinos. Yes i take precautions when out after dark . Philippines has much going for it. Maybe too slow for some, but progressing. WHY can the Negative tribe not see and write about all the POSITIVES here?

LarryKar
  3/20/2019 04:01 EST

agypsyquokka: Finally a voice of calm and reason. We must both live in the same dimension. Thank You.

gelynch52ph
  3/20/2019 09:26 EST

Tell him to choose a place where A/C is not needed. I know of at least 3 places like that. My preferred area is near Malaybalay City in Bukidnon. Then there is Tagaytay and I understand that Valencia near Dumaguete is also cool. Baguio is also cited but from most reports; it is getting very crowded and expensive. I lived 5 years in Tagaytay and 3 years in Malaybalay with Malaybalay being cooler, quieter and much cheaper to live.

gelynch52ph
  3/20/2019 09:36 EST

I lived in Philippines amongst the people for 14 years and never felt afraid even though I NEVER lived in a gated community. The only reason I ever had gates was because I could not find a house without them already installed.

When I finally got tired of the inefficiency, dogs and excessive church noise, plus the fact that the VA did not properly send me out for surgery on my Service Connected condition; I just packed up and left. My complaints were many, but had I not needed surgery; I probably would still be there but would have left Tagaytay for either Valencia on Negros or back to Bukidnon on Mindanao. My GF is from near Valencia originally (but lived most her life in Las Piñas) so Valencia probably would be our destination.

surfingcebu
  3/20/2019 10:34 EST

agy- is it 'not reality ' that the real cost of living increase each of the past 4 years has been 8-9.5% each year ? This is crippling for the jobless and underemployed RP people . think beyond yourself ! You dont think China occupies RP lands ? again , you live in a dream world then . You really must read more . The most recent document on economic outlook of the RP put out by the IMF is indeed shocking !

agypsyquokka
  3/20/2019 11:40 EST

Surfing - No need for you to tell me or others about inflation rates in Philippines these past years. I am well aware, as on a tight Cdn dollar income. I stated i have lived here for over 10 years and prior to that over 5 years in China. That gives me a good / reasonable basis to understand both countries - NO NEED to tell me to READ MORE. I do not live in a dream world - as you think. NOBODY will ever tell you Philippines is perfect, but it is far far better than many others in Asia and other areas. Accepting reality and getting on with life is what is required - NO NEED for your "ALARMIST" crap about pack a bag ready. Stop reading all your reports and get to know real Filipinos and their acceptance of their great country. Many on this Forum accept Philippines the way it is and not interested in reading "Your So-called expert" opinions that do not relate to people living here happily. Smile and cool-off

surfingcebu
  3/20/2019 12:11 EST

Agy- ok, you feel my opinions are “crap” . Thank you.

Let me Correct you, just by living in China , does not make you an “ expert” . Very simple reasoning, and simple view on a dynamic social structure in the country’s.... A little more to it than that . But, ok , I agree with some of your word salad , LOL!!

standupguy
  3/20/2019 12:18 EST

surfingcebu You can make your point without the personal digs against a member who has a different perspective than you. Stay in your chosen neutral tribe.

Morgacj2004
  3/21/2019 01:37 EST

Agreed 100% Charlene. PI is a paradise compared to a lot of others if you don’t agree go and visit Hati sometime and then tell me how bad the PI is.

gelynch52ph
  3/21/2019 09:21 EST

There are no "religious values" in the PI. What there is, is "religious posturing."

Robertdav298
  3/21/2019 20:51 EST

RELIGION....LIKE POLITICS ARE BAD SUBJECTS.......

Robertdav298
  3/21/2019 21:06 EST

TRIBES.......WHAT THE HELL IS THAT........there are no tribes on this forum and no one should be categorized because of their opinion. If you do not agree with someones post then simply say so and have facts to back it up, your views. OR even better just ignore it and move on.

standupguy
  3/21/2019 21:31 EST

Robertdav298 Read my reply to Morg. . True to your form, you continue your vendetta. Don’t waste my time or others unless you think anyone finds your broadcasts interesting. We have exchanged personal messages. Lest spare the forum you negativity and deal with it there.

standupguy
  3/21/2019 21:53 EST

Robertdav298 For me religion and politics are interesting topics, politics more so, but I stick to Facebook for that dialogue. What Philippine Federalistism will look like will be an interesting topic for this forum I imagine.

jessemax
  3/24/2019 14:45 EST

How much do you pay for electricity a month?

charkee
  3/24/2019 20:57 EST

My last electricity bill was 360 php. I don't have aircon.

jessemax
  3/24/2019 21:43 EST

We are getting ripped off here in the US.
Our electricity bill a $300.00 last month. We are pretty conservative with the fans and use of the air conditioning. Another reason why I want to move to the Philippines.

LarryKar
  3/24/2019 22:23 EST

jessemax : Lots of reasons to move to RP but cheap and reliable electricity is not one of them. Amongst the highest per kilowatt rates in Asia. Although improving compared to even just a few years ago blackouts are constant. Sometimes just for a few minutes sometimes for hours. I pay almost twice per kw/hour what I paid in Iowa. The savings comes in the relative lack of electronic appliances in most Philippine homes and the life style of the culture.

LarryKar
  3/24/2019 22:23 EST

jessemax : Lots of reasons to move to RP but cheap and reliable electricity is not one of them. Amongst the highest per kilowatt rates in Asia. Although improving compared to even just a few years ago blackouts are constant. Sometimes just for a few minutes sometimes for hours. I pay almost twice per kw/hour what I paid in Iowa. The savings comes in the relative lack of electronic appliances in most Philippine homes and the life style of the culture.

seernai
  3/24/2019 23:05 EST

Larry ka I dont know where your living , I live in Davao we rarely get brown outs also the cost of electricity is relatively cheap here last bill was ?1400 for the month water ?340

surfingcebu
  3/24/2019 23:08 EST

Larry depends where you live . In Negros area where I live , hmm quite cheap . we are on hi tech Geo-Thermal here . Amazing ! The Japanese build it, for the most part, for the RP people here . When I go our out my motor, I go past steaming rocks and so forth all the time here . The hot zone is very high to the surface around here !

surfingcebu
  3/24/2019 23:20 EST

Larry , I think Davao has th cheap and most up to date grid in the RP . I have never had a brown out in Davao , from what I can remember . Excellent grid system . I think they generate from Nat gas ? or ?

standupguy
  3/24/2019 23:32 EST

To no one in particular- I pay about the same for electricity as in Canada. We use much more here than others on this forum. I havev4 AC units, but use only one constantly in the bedroom. Fans are used briefly. The refrigerator sucks up lots too. My wife insists on leaving the modem & router on all night along with the ice water and hot water dispenser.

LarryKar
  3/24/2019 23:40 EST

All well and good for you southerners but I dont think you will find many in Luzon that write love songs to their electric companies. Yes compared to even four years ago the blackouts have improved but they still happen and they will take entire regions off line for 12 hour days to do " maintenance " . Before retirement my company did subcontract work for Mid-American Energy. I wasn't in the technical end but I know a bit about how grids etc are supposed to work just from being around their facilities. Most of Luzon is close to the 1940's technically. Pathetic.

standupguy
  3/25/2019 00:26 EST

surfingcebu Before they built the coal generating power plant in Davao in 2017, there were lots of long brown outs. Since I returned in June 2018, there have been three lasting for 15 minutes in the middle of the night. I think they were due to some kind of maintenance.

acol
  3/25/2019 00:39 EST

I am on Palawan. I have 2AC units working alternately, one fridge and one electric oven. A lot of brown-outs here. At least once per week. My electricity bill is 4,000 pesos.

Robertdav298
  3/25/2019 01:59 EST

The electric may be cheaper in the RP, depending on your usage habits. But how often to you have interrupted power for hours in the US? In the RP brownouts as they are called are frequent. Also, when a calamity happens and people are without power, the electric company will steal power from one island and supply another.
If you do move here I highly suggest you purchase a gasoline powered generator......its golden in times of power outages.

darkfader24
  3/25/2019 02:36 EST

Thank you, RobertDav - That is exactly what I have been planning ever since I read about all the constant power outages. My Fiancee over there tells me "I won't be able to email you when I get home from work because there will be a 'Block Out' - (as she calls it - not Black Out - cute) from 7 PM until 1 AM" That kind of stuff. My only concern is people stealing it while it is outside running. Or if i rent a condo I won't be able to use one. And I AM A SISSY when it comes to air conditioning! I freely admit it !! I HAVE to have my A/C. I can't stand humidity except by the Ocean or up in the Pine Forest where it is cool. I told her that it was a real sacrifice for me - Mr. USA - to come over there. I don't think she gets it. I just get a slack jawed stare from her -LOL!

standupguy
  3/25/2019 04:22 EST

Robertdav298 In Davao, since June 2018, there have been three brown outs in the middle of the night lasting 10-15 minutes each. Not bad for 10 months.

Robertdav298
  3/25/2019 04:35 EST

I know the feeling, guess we are spoiled in the US.

seernai
  3/25/2019 10:05 EST

Robertday you cannot generalise for the whole of the Philippines when it comes to brown outs and people stealing. Your electricity , here in Davao we very rarely get any brownouts and certainly nobody has tried to steal our electricity , we have good neighbours here who watch each others homes when any of us goes out . Im sorry for those who find themselves in that situation . In General it depends where you live

agypsyquokka
  3/25/2019 10:13 EST

Electric bill is around 950 php a month. no Air Con but fans running 24/7. Higher if i use toaster oven etc. Tacloban rarely has brownouts. Leyteco will send you a text to the account holder prior to brownouts if they are planned. Rarely more than 15 minutes every couple of months.

gelynch52ph
  3/25/2019 12:14 EST

When I lived in Malaybalay for 3 years I had I think 3 (ea) blackouts of less than an hour in all 3 years combined. There is no need for A/C and my highest electric bill was P1600.

bbazor
  3/25/2019 19:01 EST

seernai: You live in a subdivision. Most of the situations that I have heard of about stealing electricity are not in subdivisions.

standupguy
  3/25/2019 19:21 EST

bbazor We lived in an apartment for 4 months before moving into our house for over 7 years in Davao. It’s a pinoy neighbourhood, but never had any electricity theft. Theft of construction sand in the road. Theft of an electrical hot plate from movers, a little petty theft from kids/nieces and an extension cord by a worker, but that’s it. Far less than my time in Canada.

charkee
  3/25/2019 19:54 EST

When I first came to the Philippines we lived in a nice little and clean apartment in a slum area. Rent was $50 a month. It was right on the shore of Lago de Bay.

I got sick the when I received my first electric bill. over $100. I couldn't believe it, just for one fan and a light bulb?

I went to the main breaker and shut it off. Within 5 minutes there were neighbors walking up and down the alley looking at the wires.

Two other families were without electricity. HA!

As soon as I moved in they left their TV on all night long and were using their aircon when they didn't need to, because it was the cool season.

My wife got the the problem fixed and we got 2 months rent free.

Its called "high jacking", when they stealing electricity.

Robertdav298
  3/25/2019 21:15 EST

SEERNAI.....go back and read my post, I never mentioned the stealing of electricity........where the hell did that come from? Oh I think that was CHARKEE .....you owe me an apology

However; in CEBU you find each days newspaper littered with peoples apologies to the local electric company because they were caught stealing power.

seernai
  3/25/2019 22:35 EST

I dont owe you nothing ok as I stated clearly you cannot generalise for the whole of the Philippines I dont live in Cebu I live in Davao I also stated that im sorry for those who do have brownouts and have their power robbed by neighbours why dont you ever say positive things about the Philippines for a change instead of negativity , every country in the world has both negative and positive things but for some reason you Focus mainly on the negative side of things here

seernai
  3/25/2019 22:46 EST

Some of My expat friends here dont live on subdivisions and they dont have a problem with electricity theft, some expats were burgled last year where I live all because of their own fault as all went out leaving front gates and front doors open as they thought that as they were Just going for a walk up the Park nobody would bother them also they did not have a dog which does make a difference. Its all about basic security , lock all your doors and front gate and windows before you Go out and if you do have a dog make sure it has fresh water and food .

ACEPoolPlayer
  3/26/2019 07:53 EST

darkfader24,
My ex wife's family (still on good terms with her and have a recent NYU graduate son together) among other things own a radio station and a recording studio in the Philippines. If you ever someday have interest or questions, let me know and I'll refer you to them.

ACEPoolPlayer
  3/26/2019 08:03 EST

Jessemax,
I agree, especially in the north. We are on a budget plan of $352 a month for electricity in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

Robertdav298
  3/26/2019 19:06 EST

QUIT ATTACKING ME SEERNAI........please do not reply directly to me.
I have already sent a PM to the peacekeeper.

seernai
  3/26/2019 22:29 EST

Im not the first person to mention How negative you are ok A couple of years ago I was attacked because I said How safe Davao was well im sorry on that but as I live in Davao I can only speak for where I live . Sure we all know the Philippines has some unsafe areas and areas where there are view outs etc etc but its the constant running the country down im getting tired of

standupguy
  3/27/2019 00:38 EST

seernai. I hope the community listens to those of us that have actually lived in Davao for many years. My wife and I going on 8 years, and your family going on 6 years I think. You are right that there has been an excess of negative complaints by some which are not balanced with positive remarks by them. I would be willing to bet those individuals are here just for a short time and then back to their homeland for the majority of the year. When I did counselling work and got a blue streak of complaints by one party against the other, I would challenge them to “SAY SOMETHING POSITIVE NOW”. If they got tongue tied, it was a reminder of how biased they were. No willingness to be objective. If these nay-sayers keep returning to the Philippines, they must be masochistic then.

seernai
  3/27/2019 05:51 EST

Yes your correct also what tends to happen especially if someone lives in an area where there are frequent brownouts and other things like loud kareoke and roosters and barking dogs they often fall into the trap of believing the whole of the country must be the same instead of actually visiting other Islands and seeing what its like you dont have to put up with the negative things we did and have never regretted it , sure we have difficult Times from time to Time like anyone else but we have learned How to cope with certain situations instead of complaining about it I count My blessings for what we have .

agypsyquokka
  3/27/2019 10:17 EST

Seernai - THANKS for your logical postings, about a subject you know well = where you live. You write from experience to people who have probably never been to Davao, or could not find it on a map. Some members write blanket statements for Philippines or China or Canada or USA etc. Every country is unique within areas of its borders and a blanket statement just insults the other areas. Appreciate your logic and sanity you bring to the forum.

gelynch52ph
  3/27/2019 10:46 EST

I've seen this "room deodorizer" comment for days, but just didn't bother commenting. The guy can either buy or build a swamp cooler. There are lots of DIY instructions online. The problem with a swamp cooler is they put moisture into the air and much of The Philippines is already much too moist for comfort.

surfingcebu
  3/27/2019 10:51 EST

Standup - I think Davao is a great place to live . One of the best in all the RP for law and order, infrastructure , etc . . . Very livable and cheap to live. In balance , I hope it stays that way after the Duterte regime . Things have NOT been rosy in Davao since its creation. Love the city though - great place to live , right now .

gelynch52ph
  3/27/2019 10:51 EST

In 14 years I never lived in a subdivision and never had anyone tap into my electric.

Morgacj2004
  3/27/2019 12:05 EST

The roosters, street vendors, karaoke do not bother me one bit. If they did I would not be in the Philippines or married to a Filipina.

seernai
  3/27/2019 16:04 EST

Thank you I appreciate your Support I usually stay pretty quiet until I see too many too many negative blanket statements from people some of who have never Been to the Philippines let alone Davao , as has Been said Davao is not perfect nowhere is but compared to some places ive lived IE Bulacan where I was robbed in a church on a sunday during a Service back in 2011 , I learned a valuable lesson that day which is be careful if you use a messenger bag , normally I never use them and have never used one since also never carry all your banking Cards at once , at the time The address I was staying was not registered with My uk Bank as I had not yet found a permanent address so could not get replacement Cards sent to the address I was staying at the time. Now of course I am settled and I dont have that problem . Sorry to be so long winded in My comparison .

Robertdav298
  3/27/2019 20:27 EST

MORGAC......I agree with you, none of these bother me, I have learned that it is just part of their culture.
As I have said previously what does bother me is the trashing of the environment, not only in the RP but the world as a whole.

For those of you that have retired in the RP or just live here, congrats to finding your niche.

Elevensys
  4/1/2019 10:01 EST

My electric is 7500Php a month. Much higher than I ever paid for my house in London.

My Filippina and her daughter both have AC on all night at 24C where I'm ok with fans or 27C.

It doesn't break the bank but I know it would be nice to spend 7500php on something else.

Is there a magic way of persuading them to use less AC? Without upsetting anyone.

cwo4usn
  4/1/2019 10:23 EST

Wow, 7500Php per month a/c bill. Ours runs almost three times that with four split air aircon units in the house and even with use of fans.

standupguy
  4/1/2019 10:36 EST

Elevensys Where are you living? We are spending 5,600 p a month on electricity. . One AC on all the time, 25c during the day and 19c at night. One other is on 19c at night, and about three days a month I run another big one in the afternoon at 18 c when moping the floors. . Yours could need cleaning. I found ours much more efficiently working at higher temperatures after cleaning which I do every other week. Just a thought.

darkfader24
  4/1/2019 11:17 EST

Elevensys - just like you, I depend on air blowing from fans. I can run my Air Conditioning much less by generally cooling the air and then having a fan blow that cool air on me. If the A/C is running too hard then I get cold! So I back off of the A/C, stay cool, and save power and money. Win / Win! See if you can convince them to do the same. I have a question: I hear that there are brown outs and black outs quite often in the RP. Do you just "sweat it out" at those times?

standupguy
  4/1/2019 11:46 EST

darkfader24 I asked that question a while back. There was quite a good discussion. There is a Universal Power Supply unit you can buy which uses electricity to charge batteries and then when you get a brown out it switches to the batteries which convert DC to 230AC and also act as voltage regulators and surge protection for your home. They are hooked up to your incoming line to your panel. I found them on Alibaba & Made-In-China on line stores. They don’t produce exhaust and make noise. Cheaper than solar power and you can take them if you move were the reasons I liked them. Look for the thread about voltage regulators. All the posts were very interesting reading.

standupguy
  4/1/2019 12:00 EST

darkfader24 You were on that thread about voltage regulators. Tap the ExpatExchange Philippines banner to find it in the history.

Morgacj2004
  4/1/2019 12:10 EST

Elevensys probably not. My Filipina wife lived in the Philippines for 30+ years without AC but now chooses to use AC whenever she can. Unless you live in an area with a breeze, or in one of the higher elevations it gets hot esp in the summer months.

darkfader24
  4/1/2019 12:42 EST

Standupguy - Yes, UPS units are invaluable. I used to use them on a lot of my audio studio equipment. When there were surprise black outs the big recording consoles would send an explosive pop into my $7,000 studio monitors and it would sound like a bomb going off! Too many of those and the speakers are shot. So having a UPS on would keep that situation from happening. However, there was such a strong draw on the batteries that they would wear out fairly quickly and were very expensive to replace. And I had a lot of them. For small electronics in a house - computers. TVs, Stereo Systems - they are the perfect solution. I would assume maybe those Chinese brands may be less expensive than the units I used to get here in the USA. When I get there I will definitely buy one or two of them. BTW - to my understanding they do not switch over to the battery at the time of power failure. You are always drawing power from the battery at all times. The battery is constantly being charged by the wall a-c power. When the black out happens your equipment is on the battery as it always is so it doesn't notice any difference. However, at that time the battery starts to drain. If the black out goes for too long the UPS will eventually drain out and your equipment will shut down. So, you should constantly "save" your work on your computer.

standupguy
  4/1/2019 13:15 EST

darkfader24 Then I would need to estimate the life of the batteries and the draw of power for AC, fridge and lights to see how long a brown out they will work for. The battery technology would be a factor too.

bbazor
  4/1/2019 19:16 EST

darkfader24: The UPS units that I used and repaired in my semiconductor days do not run off the battery until main AC power is interrupted. Maybe so do, but I have used and worked on and used several different models and they all switch from the main AC line to battery back up when power is interrupted. I found the simplest block diagram that I could to give a basic understanding. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Standby_UPS_Diagram.png

As you said, a UPS is good for much electronic equipment. It sounds like they have done a lot of good for you. As far as using for Air Conditioners, they might last a few minutes, or something like that.

darkfader24
  4/1/2019 19:21 EST

bazar - The ones that I had wouldn't have lasted one second with an A-C Unit, haha! They could barely handle my Mixing Console. Actually, one per power supply .My Console has one power supply per side of the 64 Channel Board - two power supplies en toto.

darkfader24
  4/1/2019 19:22 EST

bbazar - This program is always re-spelling stuff. Anyway - it sounds like you were working on heavy duty industrial UPSes.

bbazor
  4/1/2019 19:30 EST

darkfader24: I make typos too and try to correct them. Sometimes we are in a hurry. Everyone does it. No big deal.

The UPS units typically use a car type battery. If they used the more modern batteries like in Tesla's, maybe you could run the Air conditioning for 10 or 20 minutes.. Hahha. Still not enough. Someone said that they are better than solar. Actually that is not true. A solar system is similar to a UPS (both have batteries and inverters), The big difference is that there is a circuit to charge the batter via solar panels.

LarryKar
  4/1/2019 19:32 EST

I'm curious too how long the UPS Battery would last say just running a refrigerator, TV, keeping your WI-FI router going. In Cagayan Valley we have occasional outages for just an hour or so but when they are doing what they claim is " maintenance" yeah that was sarcastic laughter they will shut the entire Valley down for 10+ hours. I can survive the short down time but wonder if the UPS is worth it for the long runs.

darkfader24
  4/1/2019 19:37 EST

bbazar - no this program re-spells things. For example, overtime I write "bazar" - I look up and it takes out the first "b" - so it reads "bazor". It just did it again and then it re-spelled it as "razor". It keeps me on my toes. Anyhow, the ones that I had i bought off the shelf at Costco definitely didn't have anything like a car battery in it. Not nearly as big - or as heavy. They cost about $300 and would last about 10 minutes with a Mac Tower on them. You must have dealt with much more powerful / heavy duty ones than I did.

bbazor
  4/2/2019 02:24 EST

Darkfader: My phone does the same thing. Smart phones have auto-correct and sometimes it is not what you want. Anyway, we had bigger UPS units than you, but the main thing that we used them for was to hold power on long enough to run around and shut down all the PC's so they would not have a hard shutdown and possibly crash the hard drive. Some of them had an ethernet connection that would communicate with the PC or sun workstation and initiate a clean shutdown if power was off more than a few minutes. They are not made to run large appliances. I honestly do not know how long it would run on a fridge, or tv or something like that. Certainly, it would not be very long at all. It can be calculated if you know the specs (how long it will supply x amount of current). Then see how much current your device uses. If you had a few spare batteries that you kept charged, then maybe you could run your fridge for a few minutes, shut it off, change the battery, and run it again later. That is a lot of trouble, but could probably be done. You really need a generator to run your appliances.

darkfader24
  4/2/2019 02:37 EST

bbazar - Yes - exactly. I just used mine long enough to hit "Save" and then turn everything off. It helped save gear and really expensive Studio "Monitor Speakers". I plan on buying one or two decent gas powered generators when I get over there. Back in the early 2000s California was suffering from on-going brown outs and black outs. In fact, our big room "Studio A" had a $90,000 Studer 24 Track Tape Deck - THE Rolls-Royce of Machines. A Brown Out took it out completely. I wish the guys had shut it off as fast as possible. A black out is much preferred. Brown outs can do significant damage to low voltage circuits. Back then you could order from Costco a very large propane powered generator. It would power up a house. It was around $4K.

Elevensys
  4/3/2019 12:04 EST

Hi Stabdupguy. I'm in Lapu-Lapu so its flat and hot here. My house is a new-build and all aircon is brand new, but I do clean the filters.

To deal with blackouts I use a laptop power bank and run USB fans. They aren't much but better than still humid air.

I have 3 wall box units which are used at night 25c the split unit is only on when we have guests. My electric bill is php7500. I wondered if I could trim that but my pinay is having none of it.

Elevensys
  4/3/2019 12:05 EST

Hi Stabdupguy. I'm in Lapu-Lapu so its flat and hot here. My house is a new-build and all aircon is brand new, but I do clean the filters.

To deal with blackouts I use a laptop power bank and run USB fans. They aren't much but better than still humid air.

I have 3 wall box units which are used at night 25c the split unit is only on when we have guests. My electric bill is php7500. I wondered if I could trim that but my pinay is having none of it.

standupguy
  4/3/2019 12:23 EST

Elevensys What are USB fans? Looks like our split AC and one box type are making your bill higher than mine. I just paid 5,789 p. We leave the WiFi on all night. Our Samsung split unit started acting up. Doesn’t generate cooling sufficiently. The Samsung guys came over and my two year old split unit needs it’s blower cleaned. Someting else is broken too. They are coming back to fix it. I watched a YouTube video on cleaning the outside unit, taking the top off. But I have only hosed it down. We have a nearby plywood mill and the end of the day trash fires make everything dusty. Your Asawa sounds like mine. Although sometimes reason prevails, but never immediately. I use a soft voice, but I have to remind myself about that.

darkfader24
  4/3/2019 13:25 EST

Use fans everywhere to blow the A/C Cold air on you. You'll get so cold that you'll turn up the temperature on the A/C and save a lot of money. I've been doing it for decades in very hot USA climates (Tucson and Phoenix Arizona, and Fresno, CA).

Elevensys
  4/6/2019 01:11 EST

Morgacj2004 has the same problem as me, We love our pinays but no such luck persuading them to change the AC temp.

Our AC units are new with the house, so filter's aren't an issue.

standupguy. USB fans are between 4 and 7 inches and sit on your desk, powered from a laptop or a power bank. A 4-amp (4000 milliamp) power-bank can run a fan all night with room to spare. I use one when I am working at my desk (I work from home) when the AC is not running. I gave my pinay and her daughter one each with a power bank, but her daughter only uses hers at school where there is no AC., That proves Filipinos can use fans without AC. By my pinay is having none of it and as Morgacj2004 suggests, I cannot win, so I must swallow it.

standupguy
  4/6/2019 02:36 EST

Elevensys Thank you. I’m going to get one along with a Power Bank and USB light.

LarryKar
  4/6/2019 03:46 EST

I first bought some of the cheapo small USB fans at the market. Fully charged ran maybe 3 hours. Saw a Cadillac class model at Ace Hardware. About 8" blades even has a cool blue Light. It will run about 7 hours. Probably saved my life last typhoon when we had no electric for 10 days. I would charge it and the phones plus keep refrigerator going with the generator but I hate running the gen at night when I'm asleep. Just my phobia.

darkfader24
  4/6/2019 04:07 EST

Your phobia - Is it fear that someone will hear it running and come up and steal it?

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